Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has opened the pink auto scheme to men.

The Pink auto scheme was started by city Mayor R Sampath Raj, which involved in providing a subsidy of Rs 75,000 for women to encourage them to ride autorickshaws and also to ensure the safety of women commuters in the city.

Single none came forward to avail the scheme, the BBMP is opening the scheme to male auto drivers. “We’ll, however, include women auto drivers as and when they come forward,” said Abdul Rakeeb Zakir, BBMP chairman.

Zakir said the BBMP would stick to the original programme by keeping the GPS device and CCTV security cameras so that the pink autos still assure women’s safety.

The officials had encouraged women to take up the scheme. They had advertised in newspapers and distributed brochures of the same.